Story Feature: Tiffany
Quote:
"Life is not easy for any of us. But what of that? We must have perseverance and above all confidence in ourselves. We must believe that we are gifted for something and that this thing must be attained." - Marie Curie
Highlights from Tiffany’s Story:
Perseverance. Confidence. Integrity. That’s Tiffany.
Tiffany didn’t grow up dreaming of working on high-rises or being in construction. She didn’t find her way into the trades or find her way into construction from family influence either. What she had was a newborn, and a fire that refused to go out. Today, she operates tower cranes hundreds of feet above the ground, carefully shifting steel with the quiet precision of someone who knows exactly what she’s doing. She’s rightfully earned the nickname "Tower Tiff."
"I wouldn’t say I had family that encouraged me," she says. "It was basically a story of ‘I started from the bottom, and now I’m here’." Tiffany didn’t grow up dreaming of a specific job. "It was survival," she says.
Growing up, her mom was emotionally absent, struggled with addiction, and with mental health issues. Her dad, also struggling with addiction was in and out of prison. She shares that she started to follow a similar path of her parents until she made a decision to walk away. Tiffany shares that she has been clean and sober since 2016. In 2018, she got married. That same year, she got pregnant.
After getting her CDL while pregnant, Tiffany decided to go all in, charging every credit card she had to cover certifications and take a shot at building a stable future for her child. When her daughter was born, something inside her shifted. "I wanted better for her than what I had. I wanted to be a woman of integrity. Someone you could be proud to know." Her early twenties were spent in construction, which meant digging trenches, servicing water tanks, and learning through hard labor. Tiffany made the choice to walk away from the life she had built with her ex-husband, choosing instead to put her child first and create a future rooted in growth, healing, and above all—integrity. Part of that journey meant starting over and moving in with her sister, laying the foundation for something more stable, and more whole. It was in her sister’s home that she saw her brother-in-law working as a crane operator and she decided to give operating a shot. Her problem-solving mindset helped her evolve into the operator she is today.
She’s always been a problem-solver, but that doesn’t mean fear didn’t creep in at first. "The first time I ever climbed up a tower crane, I was like, 'Is this really what I’m meant to do?' It was scary.” Especially as a new mom, climbing hundreds of feet into the sky, working 16-18 hour days, and living in Tucson while her baby is being raised by her sister in Queen Creek . It takes a lot of strength and dedication. "It was rough, I was dealing with the divorce and barely seeing my baby, but I knew I was building a better life for her. That kept me going."
Tiffany recalls life before being in the tower cab “I've never even been on a tall high-rise before. I think the highest I had ever been, was looking over the second story balcony of an apartment complex, so yeah, that was nerve-wracking at first.”
Tiffany's been running tower cranes for five years now. She recently recertified and added swing cabs, fixed cabs, and crawlers to her card. "I was in between jobs and thought, 'Why not?' It was an investment, but it was worth it. Life just always pulls me back to towers. I’m great at it. That’s where I’m meant to be."
She's proud being part of projects that are shaping Phoenix. At the Intel project, Tiffany shares that over the course of 18-19 months she was watching the whole process of construction from tower one to tower three. She also was part of the construction of the Ambassador Hotel. " Driving by, I told my daughter, 'Honey, I built that.' That was really cool that I could do that." Tiffany was also part of the construction of the building addition to the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale. "Imagine how many lives that building touches and I get to be part of the reason for that." She also helped build Phoenix Central Station, which had one of the tallest cranes in Phoenix.
She shares her experience at the Phoenix Central Station project where the crane cab was 450 feet in the air and it was tied into the building. “It was exhilarating a lot of days. So, I would harness up, and then I would shimmy across the beam. Then I would tie off and shimmy up the side of it to a platform and then climb onto it. Imagine it's 3:00 in the morning, in the middle of Phoenix with all of the city lights and I’m shimmying across this this beam 300 some feet in the air, I’d be looking back like, yeah that's a high drop right there, don't fall. ”
Still, it isn’t the height that gives her the rush. It’s in the moments in the sun, wind, noise, and radio calls, to when she lands a load perfectly. "That’s joy. That’s pride. I get to say ‘I did that.’"
Through postpartum depression, exhaustion, and joy, she has built herself up to who she is today. "It’s been wild, it’s been magical, and I never imagined I’d be this happy."
She’s also has found support in her job, with a good boss who understands that she’s a mom first. For once, she doesn’t have to sacrifice everything. Her current job allows her to drop her daughter off at preschool, pick her up, and actually be present. It’s the first time she’s experienced that kind of understanding and support in her career. "Honestly, I was scared to even ask, but he was great, he listened. That never happens."
Community at work is a bit harder to come by. Tower crane operators mostly work alone. Most of her day is spent in the tower and communication is all done through the radio and although you can get along great with the people you work with, it doesn’t get that deep because the interactions are limited. She still keeps a few close friends, mostly those people who knew her before, who understand her journey. "Just this morning, I called a friend I’ve known for 17 years. She said ‘What you've done with your life is impressive, you started from the bottom and now you're at the top, you have nothing to be intimidated about. You’ve made a great life for yourself.’ That meant everything coming from her."
Goals/Achievements:
Tiffany has been featured in commercials for Women in Construction over the last few years and was recently honored at her job site for Core Value of the Month, which was integrity. She’s often the only woman out on site, and she knows that her daughter is watching. "I ask myself, 'If I gave this up, would she still be proud of me?' and I know she would, but I also know I have a gift and I want her to see that."
Her advice? "Set time aside for yourself, remember that everyone struggles, the more that you talk to people, ask questions and build connections, that’s how opportunities come. Don’t let fear run the show. If I can do it, so can you."
She wants her daughter to know she can do anything. Trades over college? If that’s what she wants. She believes in the power of the work. She sees how trades can transform lives—especially for kids who feel lost, overlooked, or stuck. "Idle hands are the devil’s playground," she says. "Let’s put tools in their hands."
These days, Tiffany is focused on personal growth and being more intentional with her time. She’s part of a blended family now. Still strong, still an alpha, but now she can enjoy more of the softer, sweeter side. More present. "I don’t have to do it all alone anymore, and my daughter gets to see that. She gets to see partnership. That matters."
She’ll be on her current crane for another year and a half, and after that? She’ll keep solving problems, lifting others up, and building the life she once thought was out of reach. "Believe in yourself, even when you’re scared. And if you don’t feel ready—fake it till you make it, baby."
You can Follow or Connect with Tiffany at:
https://www.instagram.com/tiffanyeckard/